Government of Thon
See also: *http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/Map_of_Thon *http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/Military_of_Thon *http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/Thon_Nation 'Government' 'Supreme Commander' The current ruling Supreme Commander is Jonathan Arrakis Thon. He presides over the Thon Fellowship and the Thon Inner Circle which is responsible for the day to day running of the Thon and its states. The Supreme Commander is the Megas Logothete who is the head of all Logothetes. This is effectively translated as the equivalent of a Commander and Chief. He serves as an elected life term supreme monarch and Megas Logothete of the Thon and its holdings. He has no family bloodlines as he was supposedly adopted and his long ago adopted guardians have long been deceased. However relations with certain prominent women in the Thon such as Freya and his top aides and advisers seem to have close, family like relationships supposedly rooted in long ago history. 'Thon Fellowship' The Thon Fellowship is the legislative branch of the federal government. It is tetracameral (which means it is composed of four bodies), comprising of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Thon Circle, and the House of Praetors. *'It is unique first most' in that it is tetracameral, which is in contrast to every single current existing government in the world today as every country other than Burma is either unicameral or bicameral. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Unibicameral_Map.png *'It is unique second most' in that two executive bodies of the government play a limited direct role in the legislative body itself. These two executive bodies are the Thon Circle and the House of Praetors. *'It is unique third most' in that this legislative body can work, pass laws, and make decisions in absence of either the House of Praetors, the Thon Circle, or both. ' *'It is unique fourth most''' in that the Supreme Commander's vote is counted as three votes. *'It is unique fifth most' in that some Praetor's vote may count twice. (This is possible if a Praetor also holds the seat of Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa to the Supreme Commander in the Thon Circle.) The House of Representatives and Senate are equal partners in the legislative process (legislation cannot be enacted without the consent of both of these chambers). Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election. These four Fellowship bodies meet in the Great Hall of Fellowship in the capital, Arrakis City two times every year. Great Hall of Fellowship http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj121/thonnation/romulan_capitol.jpg 'Thon Circle' The Thon Circle is one of the four bodies of the Thon Fellowship with each member having one vote, with the exception of the Supreme Commander who has three votes. The Thon Circle, is made up of all the Thon's Logothetes, to include their chief, His Royal Majesty, the Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon who is the Megas Logothetes. The Supreme Commander has a Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa assigned for each state in the Thon Commonwealth, of which each hold a seat in the Thon Circle as well. Along with Sebastokratōrs (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) and sebastokratorissas the Inner Circle consists of the following: *The Megas Logothete; His Royal Majesty, the Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon (Equivlanet of commander and chief) *The Logothetes tou dromou; who is responsible for postal services as well as the diplomatic relations of the Thon. (Equivalent to Secretary of State) *The Logothetes ton oikeiakon; responsible for the domestic affairs such as the security of the Capital and the local economy. (Equivalent to Secretary of the Interior) *The Logothetes tou genikou; responsible for the taxation of the state. (Equivalent to Secretary of Treasury) *The Logothetes tou stratiotikou; responsible for the military economics and the wages of the army personnel. (Equivalent to Secretary of Defense) * other various Logothetes (System and title of Logothetes inspired and similar to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logothete) Each Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa in the Thon Circle is selected by the Supreme Commander every four years and dispatched to the Thon's states to insure the integrity of the Commonwealth and the states are in good order. Though most Thon states elect their own leaders and representatives into the Thon Fellowship, the Sebastokratōrs (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) and sebastokratorissas in the Thon Circle exist to be as emissaries and advisors to the Logothetes and insure the defense against threatening political elements in those states. Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) means "Venerable Ruler": a title created as a combination of autokrator and sebastos . It is essentially a meaningless title, which signifies only a close relationship with the Supreme Commander, but ranked immediately after the Praetors. The feminine form is sebastokratorissa In the event of an emergency declared by the Supreme Commander, a member of the Thon Circle can be selected by the Supreme Commander to preside over that state, but only if the Supreme Commander chooses so. The Supreme Commander can choose to appoint the existing respective Praetor of the respective state itself as a Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa into the Thon Circle, rather than appoint one in a position in addition to the Praetor, which is usually the case for at least a few Thon States. The particular Praetors that have the honor of being both Praetor and Sebastokratōr have two votes in the Thon Fellowship: one for the Thon Circle as their position as Sebastokratōr, and one for the House of Praetors as their position of Praetor. An example would be the life term Praetor of Temple Summit, Her majesty Freyja who is also the Supreme Commander's sebastokratorissa. Each Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa has the same powers and authority as their state Praetors do, but can only use them if the Supreme Commander authorizes so, which is usually only done so in times of crisis, if so at all. Other than this, each Sebastokratōr's duties are to advise the logothetes and report to the Supreme Commander at least biannually or upon his request. The Thon Circle merely votes on matters in the biannual Fellowship assemblies, only rarely participating in committees. Otherwise, Praetors and Sebastokratōrs are theoretically of equal rank, if one is not both. The difference in being in either more tied to the Supreme Commander or the State. (Sebastokratōr (Σεβαστοκράτωρ) or sebastokratorissa inspired by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_aristocracy_and_bureaucracy) 'House of Praetors' The House of Praetors is one of the four legislative bodies of the Thon and is made up of the current elected Praetor from each of the Thon's States. The House of Praetors votes bi-annually in the Thon Fellowship but mostly attend to their executive duties within their own states. Most of the Thon Fellowship from the House of Praetors are directly elected in their respective states but not all. The states are free to determine how their respective Praetors are chosen, and differ from at least 4 year terms to lifetime terms depending on the respective states. The Praetors are required by law to attend the Thon Fellowship bi-annually at Thon's capital. The Praetors play a very limited role in the legislative body, because of their respective executive duties in their own states. They can speak, advise, and vote on matters in the biannual Fellowship assemblies, but do not participate or hold seats in and on Fellowship committees. 'The House of Representatives' The Thon House of Representatives is one of the four chambers of the Thon Fellowship; the others are the Council of Elders, the Thon Inner Circle, and House of Praetors. Each state receives representation in the House proportional to its population but is entitled to at least three Representatives. Each representative serves for a two-year term. The presiding officer of the House is the Speaker, and is elected by the members. The tetracameral Fellowship came from the desire of the Founders to create a House "of the people" that would represent public opinion, balanced by a more deliberative Council of Elders and executive leaders which would represent the governments of the individual states, and would be less susceptible to variations of mass sentiment. The House is often considered to be the "lower house," with the Council of Elders as the "upper house," although the Thon government does not use such language. At least two houses' approval with a mass majority among the attended Fellowship is necessary for the passage of legislation. Because its members are generally elected from smaller and more commonly homogenous districts than those from the Council of Elders, the House is generally considered a more partisan chamber. The House is granted its own exclusive powers: the power to initiate revenue bills, and impeach federal officials, aside from the Supreme Commander. The House of Representatives meets in the Thon Grand Capital building in Arrakis City. 'Council of Elders' (equivalent of Senate) The Council of Elders is the upper house of the tetracameral Thon Fellowship, the lower house being the House of Representatives (The Thon do not use these terms, however). In the Council of Elders, each state is represented by three members. Membership is therefore based on the equal representation of each state, regardless of population. Elders serve 6-year terms that are staggered so elections are held for a third of the seats (a class) every second year. The Council of Elders is regarded as a more deliberative body than the House of Representatives; the Council of Elders is smaller and its members serve longer terms, allowing for a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere that is somewhat more insulated from public opinion than the House of Representatives. Once elected, an elder continues to serve until the end of his or her term. Furthermore, the Thon permit the Council to expel any member by a two-thirds majority vote. Any Vacancies in the Council, however they arise, may be filled by special elections. A special election for a Council seat need not be held immediately after the vacancy arises; instead, it is typically conducted at the same time as the next biennial Council of Elders election. If a special election for one seat happens to coincide with a general election for the state's other seat, then the two elections are not combined, but are instead contested separately. An Elder elected in a special election takes office immediately and serves until the original six-year term expires, and not for a full term. Furthermore, the Thon provide that any state legislature may empower the Praetor to temporarily fill vacancies. The interim appointee remains in office until the special election can be held. All states have passed laws authorizing the Praetor to make temporary appointments. 'Benefits' In general, Elders are regarded as more important political figures than members of the House of Representatives because there are fewer of them, and because they serve for longer terms, represent larger constituencies (except for House at-large districts, which also comprise entire states), sit on more committees, and have more staffers. The prestige commonly associated with the Elders is reflected by the background of logothete and logothete candidates; far more sitting elders have been nominees for the logothetes than sitting representatives. 'Qualifications' Each Elder must be at least 30 years old, must have been a citizen of their state for at least the past nine years, and must be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they seek to represent. The age and citizenship qualifications for elders are more stringent than those for representatives. Interesting Thon Laws Both Thon and Commonwealth land is constitutionally protected and cannot be sold to foreigners (although it may be leased) Land generally is largely held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. Special Status Territories Tyr Hold Tyr Hold is the mostly autonomous state which is independent of the Thon military and home to the Tyr Order, a chivalrous, knightly, idealistic, order of elite warriors who serve, and act to "de Oppresse Libre", protect the weak, safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong, among other ideals in their order. They are very much looked up to and respected throughout the Thon for their ideals, morality, selflessness and sacrifice on behalf of others. (a far cry from them but nevertheless can possibly be compared to the Knights Templar in history) 'Castle Ratis' Named after the Celtic Goddess of protective fortifications whose name means "of the fortress," Castle Ratis is an immense, towering, and majestic castle, which is the seat of the Tyr Order and Residence to its most notable knights and leaders of their order. The Tyr Order's Great hall of Honor, Round Court, and seat of government are there. 'Temple Summit' The seemingly elven independent state is home to some of Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon's closest friends, and rumored, even family. The majestic, grand, tranquil, mountain, river, valley, and cliff side city is home to some of the most beautiful architecture and temples that can be found in mountainous remote places. It is a religious sight in that it just inspires many followers of different religions in its beauty, remoteness, temples, and its local priestesses and residential beliefs and philosophies. The self sufficient, zero crime, prosperous haven, has become a place of pilgrimages to a good number and variety of people. This is due in large part, because of not only the grandness and majesty of the area and its temples, but the rumors of elves, and other mysteries of the area. The most beautiful woman alive or according to some to have ever lived, Freyja also contributes to the pilgrimages and tourism of the area, some hoping to get a glimpse of the heavenly-like woman. Temple Summit has become the spiritual capital of the Thon and the Pacific. The mostly private, closed community has had its temples, mountain city, and mountain residential district relatively open to most visitors upon request. Several people come here as pilgrimages. In terms of natural defense, it is one the top ten most well defended locations in the realm, which is contributed to its high altitude, remote location, the narrow, mountainous sheer rock cliff surrounded entry, and its well founded, stone and rock, castle like constructions as well as its self sustaining and always accessible water and power capabilities. Temple Summit has its own unique language and is as of yet still unrecognized and untranslated to the outside world. The region is also home to a grand library restrictively held and accessed by only its denizens and a select few others. The library has led to rumors that it holds many secrets to include Greek fire, forgotten and dead languages, religions, gods, and history. Some say the Library of Alexandria is there with ancient texts and old gospels and writings of Greek and other philosophers and prophets long thought to have been burned, destroyed, gone and lost to the world, in history such as the book burnings of the Roman, Byzantine, German, French, and Catholic Empires. 'Freyja' Freyja in theory is the second most powerful entity in Thon society. Her history is vague, but the myth that surrounds her tells that she is an elven woman who has lived over a millennium. Freyja is commonly known and believed by most Thon citizens to be the fairest and most beautiful woman alive, giving her rise to wide spread beliefs and cults of worshipers of her as the ancient Norse goddess Freyja herself. Despite her denial of the foolishness of her identity as that of an ancient Norse goddess, this has only made many to see this modesty as an even greater thing becoming of her. Freyja, along with numerous other intriguing and seemingly immensely knowledgeable persons, revealed herself to the people of the Thon only recently with the coronation of Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon. Though Freyja holds no national, or federal political office, her power over those that do is significant, and it is evident that the Supreme Commander himself holds her in his closest favor. Freyja is Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon's sebastokratorissa for the state of Temple Summit as she is herself the Queen, High Priestess, Praetor, and supreme authority in the Temple Summit State district. Her priestesses however fulfill and facilitate themselves what little governing aspects there are locally in the Temple Summit region. 'Merc Island' Formerly known as "Shipwreck Cove" before it fell to Thon Military Forces, this Thon pirate/privateer/treasure/monetary/bounty hunter island vault and haven is the Island fortress and mostly autonomous state of Thon military mercenary and bounty hunter guilds and their military units, factories and facilities. They have a sound arms manufacturing and service industry. The service industry being frequently use by both Thon and various foreign powers in areas throughout the world except where Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon forbids them to. Capital punishment, floggings, stocks, walking the plank, forced employment and labor in factories are common in the island state because of its victories and nature and punishments for failure to compensate and/or pay debts and dues. Mercenaries and their families are however protected amongst and from themselves by various indigenous codes, laws, unions and such, varying in differnt degrees due to rank, time, success, notoriety, guild allegiance, affiliation or employment. Barbarity, ruthlessness, and cruelness are actually fairly uncommon and seldom heard of often. The military and historical effectiveness of the mercenary guilds however have proved quite efficient and successful, as well as their tributes to the Supreme Commander's coffers. 'Amazon Queendom' Female Queendom located on the southwest island area of Capeguard Island, whose high leader is the Amazon queen. The mostly autonomous state's population is over 85% female, and fiercely independent, and proud. Some of the Thon's best military officers and a few of its best enlisted hail from the region. The state is home its own renown college and university as well as its national guard military units. 'Arrakis Royal City' City state capital of the Thon Commonwealth, home castle residence to Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon. The castle city is envied and awed thoughout the world for its majestic architecture and castle treasures. Kingdom of Roma Countryside, rural, state of the Roma people. A castle bastion and home city in some respects was founded here by various Roma peoples throughout the world at the first colonization of the Thon Islands and its Independence. The Thon Governemnt and the Supreme Commander Jonathan Arrakis Thon himself has perpetuated and promoted the state to be a free haven, free land, citizenship, and control of and to the Roma people. Since its founding it has become a cultural jewel of the Roma people and the Thon. The Roma people contribute and run much of the agriculture, farming, ranching, and industry on the Island of Midnew. The elected Praetor of the Island of Midnew has traditionally been Roma. Because of the the Roma people, relations and trade abroad are becoming increasingly prosperous and fruitful, with good diplomatic ties and fewer disputes and tensions.